Chapter Three: - Venom

Major Lorne and his security team had arrived, only a little too late. The snake had already come and gone, and the damage had been done.

Lorne saw Dr. Weir sitting on the floor against the wall and she was physically shaking as she clutched her bleeding arm. He wasted no time calling for a medical team before bending down to her level and carefully taking her right arm so he could take a closer look at the injury.

Surprised by his touch Elizabeth jumped a little when he tried to look at her arm.

"Easy Ma'am I just need to take a look at it." In doing so he could see the snakebite and it looked nasty, he could only guess how painful it must feel right now. His main concern was if the snakebite could be poisonous.

He felt the back of her hand to see if he could feel a change in temperature and gulped a little when he could. He double-checked by feeling her forehead and he got the same result; she was rather warm to the touch. It may well be just from the shock. But he wasn't taking any chances. Clicking his earpiece again he forwarded the information to Carson.

--

Carson was already on his way with a full support team when Major Lorne had contacted him. Activating his earpiece he returned the call. "Beckett."

"I need you to hurry Doc," came Major Lorne's voice. "I think the snakebite to Dr. Weir's arm might have been poisonous. She's running a high temperature and getting worse by the minute."

"Is she still awake lad?"

"Yes."

"Okay listen, I need you to keep her awake for me till I get there okay. Don't let her fall asleep."

"Would it be quicker if I came to you?"

"If you feel it's safe to move her. Then yes, we need to treat any poisonous symptoms ASAP."

"Will do Doc. Lorne out."

Carson started to double his pace and he ordered the rest of his team to do so. "Okay people lets move it."

--

John woke to the sound of wheels being rolled into the room. Opening his eyes, he turned to face the noise. He saw Elizabeth being wheeled in on a bed, which was parked next to his. "What's going on? What happened?"

Carson ordered various doses of medicine from a nurse and she hurried off to get them before he answered John's question. "We think the snake might have poisoned her."

John quickly got out of bed and went to stand by hers, ignoring the wires attached to him that were getting in the way. "It -was- one of those snakes we saw. How the hell did it happen?" It was then he noticed Lorne standing on the other side of her bed and looked at him. He could see his hands were covered in her blood. "We're supposed to stop this kind of thing from happening."

Carson looked at him before turning to see Major Lorne's guilty face before turning back to face him. "Don't blame him Colonel. The scanners didn't pick up the snake till it was too late." Carson gave Elizabeth some of the medicine the nurse had returned with.

Elizabeth had already passed out before they had got to the infirmary and Carson was concerned on how far the poison might have spread, if she was indeed infected. Quickly he pulled the scanner over and took a few quick readings.

It just confirmed what they were all afraid of and Carson's face said it all.

TBC